Servant and His Master
by lilsay
Summary: Merlin and Arthur have a secret. It has the potential to destroy Camelot forever. Only they know... Or do they? When they start receiving notes from a writer who seems to know everything about them, will they do whatever it takes to keep what they have a secret?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**MERLIN POV.**

Dream state. Isn't it wonderful? I can feel the warm bedsheets engulfing me with their presence. I am able to create a whole other life to be played before my eyes. I could be fighting for my life against an evil sorcerer or simply picking flowers in the forests of Camelot. In dream state, nothing can be wrong. Everything is peaceful.

I took in a breath of fresh air, my day was about to start and I had to leave dream state for another night. Arthurs hand was entwined in mine as he, too, was tranquil. I could hear his heavy breathing and feel the pulse in his fingers.

Hang on

Realisation washed over me like a cold bucket of water. Arthur? I opened my eyes.

"Oh my! Arthur!" I whispered as I shook him awake

"Merlin.." Arthur's reply was half-hearted, like he was still in a dream.

"Arthur, I stayed with you the whole night. I must have fallen asleep!"

"Merlin... Merlin stay" Arthur's arm pulled me towards him, his voice still distant. He always has been a heavy sleeper. I looked around the room. The water that Arthur had bathed in last night was still present in the room, for I had forgotten to empty it.

"I'm sorry, but this is the only thing for it" I threw half of the water over Arthur's face, his body shot up in his bed and he looked at me with shock.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked, wiping his face with his bedsheet.

"You wouldn't wake up!" I gave him a sympathetic look "Arthur. I stayed here the whole night."

"You did what?" Arthur stood up "Merlin how could you be so ignorant? What if someone had seen us? What if someone had walked right in here and seen me and my _servant _sleeping together?"

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry." I muttered. The exact same things were going through my head.

Arthur and I had kept our secret for many months now. To risk it's exposure over something so stupid was ignorant in the extreme. I felt terrible, I really did. But I just wish I could have had a few more minutes with him. Everything was so calm when we were both sleeping. I could still feel his heartbeat against mine. I could see it behind his anxious eyes that he wished for this too. Just a few more moments together.

"Merlin, you need to leave. Swiftly" I nodded at Arthur. No one can see me here in the castle at this time. I start my duties as Arthur's servant after the sun has risen. People would be suspicious if they saw me here before then.

We shared one last understanding glance before I strode out of his chambers.

I could tell that I was looking like I had just got out of bed; which in fact, I had. My hair was spewed all over my face and my clothes were creased where I had been sleeping on them.

The guards in Uthers castle are really quite useless. I'm sorry to be so brutal, but they are. How many times have I had to save a Pendragon's life because of someone sneaking into the castle unknowingly? Too many times to count. Sometimes I imagine how different things would be if I didn't have my magic. How many times would Arthur have died, already? It saddens me that I can't tell him about this. Even though he likes me, he still thinks of me as an inferior. Maybe that's the best way to go.

"Merlin?" a womans voice called from behind me. Gwen. I turned around and nodded at her, I was not in the mood for questions, and I hadn't quite got my story straight.

"Merlin, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine" my hurried tone seemed to worry her. I would explain things later, even if half of what I explain to her is completely made up.

The castles corridor's seemed to go on for ages. My mind was racing with thoughts of Arthur, Gwen, and scolding myself for staying the whole night in Arthurs chambers. I was just finishing my duties for the night, ending them with helping Arthur get dressed for bed. He sat down in bed and asked me to join him. We talked for a while after that. The conversation jumped from talking about Arthur's coming tournament against the other Knights of Camelot, and then to talking about my old life in Ealdor. Arthur seemed intrigued as he listened to what I had to say, and I him. I really do like that about him, how even when I am talking about something he really shouldn't care less about, he still listens intently. There is definately a level of denial in my feelings for him. It's hard to explain- even to myself. My heart feels... warm when I'm around him...like I've just had a bowl of hot broth and it still brews in my stomach.

Bang! The door of the chambers Gaius and I share slammed open.

"Damn!" I excaimed. I hadn't realised that it was slightly ajar. I fumbled as I tried to move to my bedchambers. My hand brushed one of Gauis' potions as I went. I exclaimed again!

"_Inbringe cume mec_" my enchantment stopped the medicine from smashing on the floor, it slowly rose up and placed itself back where it fell from. Slightly chuffed, I turned to carry on walking to my bedchambers.

"What are you doing?" Gaius' voice came from behind me.

"Hrm? Me!? Well..." I tried to think of an excuse Gauis would vaugely believe, "I must have been sleepwalking"

"Sleepwalking?"

"Yes. Thats what it was. Sleepwalking." I tried to put on my most innocent face, "But I'm awake now, see!"

"O..kay" I could tell that Gaius wasn't really convinced. I think he's had enough of me, to be honest.

"Wow, I am really hungry!" I was trying to change the subject. "Breakfast?"

"I was just about to make some porridge when I saw you had left"

"I'll make it then? Good, okay." What Gaius didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Besides, I was only sleepwalking- wasn't I?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**ARTHUR POV.**

Merlin looked at me one last time, I watched him as he shut the door to my chambers. Why did I have to be so stupid? Why did _Merlin _have to be so stupid? He knows that he can't stay the entire night. In _my bed, _of all places. I can't imagine what would have happened if a guard or servant had walked in and seen us together. The whole of Camelot would be in outrage. My father would disown me. Just the thought makes me cringe.

I moved back to my bed and onto his side, still feeling the warmth of his body from a few moments ago. My eyes closed. Memories of last night surfaced in my mind.

_"I'm all done, Arthur" said Merlin, "Shall I leave now?"_

_"No" I said, looking from around my dresser, "please stay a little longer" Merlin looked reluctant. I could tell that he didn't really know what to do. "Please. I _order _you to stay just a little bit longer." The flirtatious tone of my voice persuaded him sit down. _

_"You really do take your 'prince' title seriously, don't you Arthur?"_

_"I certainly do!" I raised my voice, but softened it just as quickly, "Especially when my servants need to know their place." I advanced towards him slowly, raising my eyebrows as I spoke_

_"Your servant_s_?" he asked teasingly, putting emphasis on the plural._

_"Alright, my servant. My one and only," my voice at almost a whisper now, "My very own." Merlin smiled nervously. GOD! He was so adorable when he did that. _

_"And what would this servant's name be then, Arthur?" he leaned towards me in his chair. I was right opposite him now, close enough to hear his shallow breathing. I tilted my head past him and whispered in his ear,_

_"Merlin." Silence as he looked up at me, his eyes open wide. My lips found his and, like many times before, we were kissing. Adrenaline rushed through me; we could be caught at any second. None of that seemed to matter in those few seconds. My father, Camelot; none of it seemed real. The only thing that seemed real was the connection Merlin and I were sharing at that very moment. He pulled away first._

_"Arthur!" _

"Arthur!" I could hear a voice, the same as in my memory however the tone was slightly different. There were knocks at the door. "Arthur, wake up!"

It was Merlin.

"Y-yes" I stuttered on my words- very unlike me. "Come in."

The thing with being a prince, is that you have to act prince-like around everyone you know. I can never be just plain old 'Arthur Pendragon' who is handy with a sword and easy on the eyes. All I am to the people is 'Prince Arthur of Camelot'. If I do not act princely then people start to doubt me, they dismiss me. By people- I mean my father: 'Uther Pendragon, King of Camelot.' I would rather have to pretend to be arrogant, pompous and worthy than have my father virtually pretend that I don't exist.

However, I can let my guard down just a little bit when I'm with Merlin. _Alone _with Merlin, for that matter. When it is just me and him in my chambers I feel free to talk as I wish, without having to think before speaking. I may call Merlin an idiot, but he's _my _idiot.

"You feeling well this morning, sire?" Asked Merlin, out of character for him in the morning.

"Why are you calling me sire? You only ever call me sire..." _when there are other people in the room. _Blast! A guard was standing just inside my door, still as a rock. Obviously Merlin had seen this and tried to hint to me that we weren't alone.

"I only ever call you sire in the morning, which it is, my lord!" Merlin was obviously trying to cover up where I trailed off. "Wakey wakey rise and shine." I laughed, '_Thank you' _I mouthed to him as I walked to the door of my chambers towards the sneaky guard.

"I will not be requiring you right now, thank you goodbye now" My right hand tried to shuffle him out of the room,

"But the King said-"

"Never mind what my father said! I am awake now and he is fully aware that I can take care of myself" I tried to look as intimidating as I could. There was that prince-act again. "Besides, I've got Merlin here now," I put my other arm, the one that wasn't pushing the guard out of the door, around Merlin, "Not very brave, but he keeps me out of trouble. Don't you now Merlin?"

"Always, everyday. No trouble here." Merlin's voice was also convincing, it was his 'no nonsense' voice that he uses with me some of the time. The guard- who I think was named Bredych- took a suspicious look at us and then he made his way down the corridors.

Merlin and I waited for him to disappear completely, waving at him as he turned the corner and shuffled down the stairs.

Merlin and I gave eachother a look that said _'got away with that one'. _Then we started to laugh. Quietly, of course, but laughing none-the-less.

"Would you like some breakfast, sire?" Merlin mocked the few seconds before, "Would you like me to fold your socks, sire?"

"Would you like me to chop your head off, Merlin?" I mocked my princely attitude. Merlin looked at me funny, almost startled that I'd said such a thing. "I was joking, Merlin." Merlin sighed in understanding. Maybe I wasn't as good as mockery as he was. My sense of humour was probably a bit off.

As usual, Merlin had brought my breakfast up from the Camelot kitchen. Today it was porridge, bread and fruit. Delicious. Sitting down, I started to serve myself up. Merlin was watching me from behind.

"Do I have to do this every time?" I turned around,

"Do what?"

"Ask you to come and sit with me?" Merlin looked flushed, embarrassed almost. Weird.

"Okay" he sat down opposite me with his back to the door, "helloo!" He was doing his cute 'hello' voice. It was slightly higher pitch than when he normally spoke and when he said it, his smile. Oh, his smile had the ability to melt butter, for it certainly melts my heart.

"Merlin," I smiled back at him, "How many times do you think I say your name in a day?"

"Quite a few, I'm guessing"

"Yes, if I say it so much during the day, imagine how much I say it during the night"

"When you are..."

"Asleep, yes"

"Well I'd imagine a few times then, as well, since I'm permenantly stuck in your head." Merlin winked at me as I laughed. It was obviously true and we both knew it.

"I was wondering if Gaius has some sort of remedy to cure sleep talking?" I wouldn't want people to get suspicious over me yelling Merlin's name at night.

"He probably does, I need some of it too..."

"What, you yell your own name at night?" I teased,

"Ha. Ha." said Merlin "No, your name, stupid!"

"Prat"

"Clotpole"

"Idiot"

"Dollophead." We both snickered. Whoever said insults were the best form of flattery? My gaze turned to the village waking up outside, I needed to get ready for my training session today.

"Right, so my armour is...?" I looked around the room, mouth still full of porridge.

"There-" he pointed behind my dressing screen, "I put them there earlier"

"Err, no you didn't" there was nothing there, just the freshly polished wooden floor. My eyes searched the room. One glint of silver. "Ahh!" I walked over to my chair near the window, "Here it is!" I picked up my armour, it was what I lived in. What I lived to do. "I hope you've cleaned this very well Merlin.." I inspected the metalwork. He was laughing behind me, the whole master/servant dynamic had gone out of the window long, long ago. His hands were placed lightly on my shoulders.

Before I put the armour down, I noticed a tiny bit of paper attached to my chain mail. It was handwritten, I had to squint and hold it up to the light to work out what it said.

_"Two know now, three know later, one of them is a hidden traitor"_


End file.
